Method of applying end connectors to slide fasteners



Dec. 14, 1965 T. M. WRIGHT 3,222,7fi

METHOD OF APPLYING END CONNECTORS TO SLIDE FASTENERS Original Filed Jan.10, 1963 INV ENT OR. meadow/111619121 A I'TORIVEK United States Patent3,222,768 METHOD OF APPLYING END CONNECTORS TO SLIDE FASTENERS TheodoreM. Wright, 934 Haddon Ave., Camden, NJ. Original application Jan. 10,1963, Ser. No. 250,610, new Patent No. 3,163,906, dated Jan. 5, 1965.Divided and this application Aug. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 392,451 Claims.(Cl. 29-410) This invention relates to slide fasteners, and particularlyto a method of securing hook-and-eye type of end connectors to the tapeswhich carry the interlocking teeth of the slide fasteners, the presentapplication being a division of my copending application, Serial Number250,610, filed January 10, 1963, now Patent No. 3,163,- 906.

It is well known that most slide fasteners such as are used on garmentssuffer from the defect of tending to come apart at the top, especiallyunder the influence of sidewise pulling forces, unless some means areprovided for positively holding the teeth carrying tapes together at thenormally free ends of the fasteners. To keep the slide fasteners fromcoming apart unintentionally, the tapes thereof are conventionallyprovided with hand sewn hooks and eyes beyond the teeth racks. The hooksand eyes, when interlocked, serve to hold the tapes in closely adjacentjoined relation and thereby prevent the slide fasteners from openingunintentionally. However, hand sewn hooks and eyes are not onlyexpensive to apply because of the labor involved, but they frequentlycome loose from the tapes when the cotton threads which hold them on thetapes become torn, as often happens.

The primary object of my present invention is to provide an improvedmethod of applying to the tapes of slide fasteners ends connectors ofthe hook-and-eye type.

More particularly, it is an object of my present invention to provide animproved method of attaching to the tapes of slide fasteners wire hookand eye end connectors in such a manner that they will be held on thetapes securely without danger of coming loose from the tapes.

Another object of my present invention is to provide an improved methodof applying staple-like wire hook and eye end connectors to tapes ofslide fasteners in a manner that is not only highly effective, but quitesimple to perform.

A further object of my present invention is to provide an improved.method as aforesaid which readily lends itself to high quantityproduction and which can be carried out with great efficiency.

In accordance with the present invention, I apply to each of the tapesof a slide fastener, at the opposed beaded edges thereof, one or theother of a pair of cooperating hook and eye elements made of relativelystiff wire. Each element is formed with a loop portion midway betweenits ends to provide, in one case an eye and in the other a cooperablehook. From each of the loop portions, there extend a pair of diverginglegs which preferably terminate in sharp points for easy penetrationthrough the cloth of which the tapes are customarily made. The legs ofeach element are given a first right angle bend into a plane normal tothe loop portion thereof, after which they are driven through the tapesat positions aligned transversely of the tapes and with the loops of therespective elements lying against preferably the outer or front surfacesof the respective tapes. The loops extend slightly beyond the beads ofthe tapes so as to clear the beads. The legs of each element are thenreversely bent back toward the loop thereof so as to lie firmly againstthe inner or rear surface of the associated tape. The legs are longenough to extend beyond the tape beads at this point. They are thengiven a second 3,222,768 Patented Dec. 14, 1965 ice reverse bend tobring them firmly around the beads and against the outer surface oftheir respective tapes. The legs are finally clinched against such outersurfaces in positions preferably snugly along the portions of the legsadjacent to the loops. Thus, the hook and eye elements are securedfirmly to the tapes by being clinched thereto and without need for usingthread or any other, external securing means. By afiixing the hook andeye fasteners to the tapes in proper locations just beyond the free endsof the teeth racks thereof, they also act as stop means for limitingtravel of the slide member of the slide fastener beyond the teeththereof.

The novel features of the present invention, as well as additionalobjects and advantages thereof, will be better understood from thefollowing description when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a length of wire from which either a hookelement or an eye element can be formed according to this invention,

FIGURE 2 is a plan view showing the first step in the formation ofeither an eye element or a hook element from the wire of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a plan view showing the next step in the formation of a hookelement,

FIGURES 4 to 7, inclusive, are sectional views taken transverselythrough tapes of a separable slide fastener and showing the varioussteps involved in the application of the hook and eye elements to thetapes in accordance with this invention, and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary plan view of a completed, combined slide andhook-and-eye fastener according to this invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is shown, in FIGURE 1,a length of stiff wire 1, such as piano wire, for example, having itsends 3 preferably tapered to terminate in sharp points 5 for purposespresently to be set forth. Such lengths of wire may be used for formingeither an eye element 7 or a cooperable hook element 9 of a hook and eyefastener or connector 11. Such a connector 11 is affixed, in accordancewith the present invention, to the fabric tapes 13a and 13b of a slidefastener 15. The tapes of conventional slide fasteners are usuallyformed along their opposed, longitudinal edges with beads 17 to whichare secured cooperating racks of teeth 19. A slider 21 provided with aull tab 23 serves to effect interlocking of the teeth 19 when it ismoved in one direction to thereby join the tapes 13a and 13b, or tounlock the teeth 19 when it is moved in the opposite direction tothereby permit separation of the tapes. Since slide fasteners of thistype are well known in the art, no further description thereof isbelieved to be necessary.

To insure maintaining the tapes joined when the slider 21 is moved in adirection to effect interlocking of the teeth 19 and thus prevent theslide fastener from opening unintentionally, the hook and eye elementsof the present invention are applied to the respective tapes in opposed,transversely aligned relation just beyond the free ends of the racks ofteeth. In this position, the hook and eye elements 9 and 7 cannot onlybe coupled to prevent accidental or unintentional separation of thetapes, but they also serve as stops for limiting the travel of theslider 21 in the direction to effect interlocking of the teeth 19'.

In forming either the eye element 7 or the hook element 9, the wire 1 isfirst given a substantially reverse bend midway between its ends to forma loop portion 25 and a pair of somewhat diverging legs 27 comprising anintegral unit. If an eye element 7 is to be formed, the loop 25 is leftentirely open, as in FIGURE 2, to provide an eye 29. However, if a hookelement 9 is to be formed, the loop portion 25 is pinched to provide abill 31 (FIGURE 3) which, when substantially reversely bent, as shown inFIGURE 7, provides a hook 33 for cooperation with the eye 29.

In either case, after the bend 25 is formed, the legs 27 are given aright angle bend 35. The bent legs of a pair of cooperable elements 7and 9 are then driven clear through the respective tapes, preferablyfrom the outer or front surfaces thereof to well beyond the inner orrear surfaces thereof and until the loop portions thereof lie firmlyagainst the respective tape outer surfaces in transversely alignedrelation. The sharp points 5 facilitate penetration of the legs 27through the fabric of the tapes. The legs 27 are then bent back towardtheir respective loops 25 to provide first reverse bends 37 thereinwhich extend through the tape bodies. The reversely bent leg parts,which then extend well beyond their respective beads 17 as shown by thedotted lines in FIGURES 6 and 7, are pressed firmly against the lower orinner surfaces of the respective tapes. They are then formed with asecond reverse bend 39 snugly around the respective beads to provideterminal parts 41 which end in the tapered end portions 3 and which areclinched firmly to the outer surfaces of the tapes. The terminal parts41 are so disposed that the tapered end portions 3 thereof snugly abutthe loop portions of the respective fastener elements. Thus, the hookand eye fastener elements 7 and 9 are firmly secured to their respectivetapes 13b and 13a without the need for external fastening means such asthreads, rivets, or the like. It will be appreciated that each element 7and 9 is a completely self contained, integral unitary element. Bydisposing the various tapered end portions 3 in snugly abutting relationwith the sides of their respective loop portions, abrupt ends of thewires, on which threads, finger nails and the like might catch, arecompletely avoided.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that I haveprovided, for conventional slide fasteners, an improved auxiliary, hookand eye closure which is made of completely self-contained units, whichcan be formed easily and afiixed to the slide fastener tapes withfacility and firmness, and which can cooperate not only to keep thetapes from separating unintentionally after they are joined, but whichwill also act as a stop for limiting travel of the slide fastener sliderin the fastener closing direction. Although I have shown and describedbut a single embodiment of my invention, it will undoubtedly be apparentto those skilled in the art that other forms and modifications thereof,as well as variations in the method of forming the hooks and eyes andthe manner of securing them to the tapes, all within the spirit of thepresent invention are possible. Hence, I desire that the foregoing shallbe taken merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of applying to a tape member of a slide fastener astaple-like element of a hook-and-eye connector which comprisessubstantially reversely bending a length of stiff wire intermediate itsends to provide a loop and a pair of legs beyond said loop, bending eachof said legs at substantially a right angle to the plane of said loop,driving said legs through said tape from one surface of said tape untilsaid loop lies snugly against said one surface, then bending said legsback toward said loop until said legs snugly engage the opposite surfaceof said tape, said legs then extending beyond an edge of said tape toprovide terminal portions therefor, then reversely bending said legsaround said tape edge to bring said terminal portions back over ontosaid one tape surface, and finally clinching said leg terminal portionsagainst said one tape surface to thereby affix said element to saidtape.

2. The method of'applying to a tape member of a slide fastener astaple-like element of a hook-and-eye connector which comprisessubstantially reversely bending a length of stiff wire intermediate itsends to provide a loop and a pair of legs beyond said loop, bending eachof said legs at substantially a right angle to the plane of said loop,driving said legs through said tape from one surface of said tape untilsaid loop lies snugly against said one surface, then bending said legsback toward said loop until said legs snugly engage the opposite surfaceof said tape, said legs then extending beyond an edge of said tape toprovide terminal portions therefor, then reversely bending said legssnugly around said tape edge to bring said terminal portions back overonto said one tape surface, and finally clinching said leg terminalportions against said one tape surface in abutting relation with saidloop to thereby afiix said element to said tape.

3. The method of applying a staple-like element of a hook-and-eyeconnector to a tape member of a slide fastener, said tape member havinga bead along one edge thereof, said method comprising the steps of (a)substantially reversely bending a length of stiff wire substantiallymidway between its ends to provide a loop and a pair of legs beyond saidloop,

(b) bending each of said legs at substantially a right angle to theplane of said loop,

(c) then, while said loop is so related to said tape that it overliesand extends somewhat beyond the edge of said bead, driving said legsthrough said tape from one surface of said tape until said loop liessnugly against said bead at said one surface of said tape,

(d) then bending said legs back toward said loop until said legs snuglyengage the opposite surface of said tape at said bead, said legs beingof a length such as to then extend beyond said bead to provide terminalportions therefor,

(e) then reversely bending said legs snugly around the edge of said headto bring said terminal portions back over onto said one tape surfaceacross said bead, and

(f) finally clinching said leg terminal portions against said head atsaid one surface of said tape to thereby affix said element to saidtape.

4. The method defined in claim 3 wherein said legs are driven throughsaid tape from said one surface thereof in proximity to said head.

5. The method defined in claim 3 wherein said leg terminal portions havetapered, pointed, ends, and wherein said terminal portions are clinchedto said tape at said one surface thereof with the tapers at said ends inabutting relation to the sides of said loop.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 755,411 3/1904Stricker 24-229 765,123 7/1904 Brown et al. 24203 1,966,256 7/1934Marinsky 294l0 2,792,610 5/1957 Erdmann 24-205.ll 3,163,906 1/1965Wright 24205.11

FOREIGN PATENTS 233,421 3/ 1959 Australia. 898,772 6/1962 Great Britain.

WI-IITMORE A. WILTZ, Primary Examiner.

1. THE METHOD OF APPLYING TO A TAPE MEMBER OF A SLIDE FASTENER OF ASTAPLE-LIKE ELEMENT OF HOOK-AND-EYE CONNECTOR WHICH COMPRISESSUBSTANTIALLY REVERSELY BENDING A LENGTH OF STIFF WIRE INTERMEDIATE ITSENDS TO PROVIDE A LOOP AND A PAIR OF LEGS BEYOND SAID LOOP, BENDING EACHOF SAID LEGS AT SUBSTANTIALY A RIGHT ANGLE TO THE PLANE OF SAID LOOP,DRIVING SAID LEGS THROUGH SAID TAPE FROM ONE SURFACE OF SAID TAPE UNTILSAID LOOP LIES SNUGLY AGAINST SAID ONE SURFACE, THEN BENDING SAID LEGSBACK TOWARD SAID LOOP UNTIL SAID LEGS SNUGLY ENGAGE THE OPPOSITE SURFACEOF SAID TAPE, SAID LEGS THEN EXTENDING BEYOND AN EDGE OF SAID TAPE TOPROVIDE TERMINAL PORTIONS THEREFOR, THEN REVERSELY BENDING SAID LEGSAROUND SAID TAPE EDGE TO BRING SAID TERMINAL PORTIONS BACK OVER SAID ONETAPE SURFACE, AND FINALLY CLINCHING SAID LEG TERMINAL PORTIONS AGAINSTSAID ONE TAPE SURFACE TO THEREBY AFFIX SAID ELEMENT TO SAID TAPE.